CoolGeek CS-01 Turntable Music System

CoolGeek CS-01 Turntable Music System

More Info and Purchase: https://www.coolgeekdesign.com/products/cs-1
https://cs-01.coolgeekdesign.com

Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2022/03/03/coolgeek-cs-01-turntable-music-system/

I have tried quite a few Bluetooth record players before but never one like this. The others all worked OK but were all pretty cheaply made with poor quality internal speakers and components clearly adapted from other devices. Most annoyingly of all they were all Bluetooth in only - you could play external sources over the internal speakers but not play from the turntable directly to a Bluetooth speaker or other external devices. Finally, none of them had the sort of looks you would want on show in your living room.

That is not the case with this record player. It looks fantastic with a distinctly upmarket look and feel to it. The build quality is heavy duty and built to last, made from wood with pineapple pattern anodized alloy metal control knobs. The sound quality from the internal speaker is great for the size and a cut above that from the cheapo rivals. Unlike the others, this one does indeed have Bluetooth Out and it was a quick and easy matter to send audio to my phone and to Bluetooth speakers It has one of the best damping systems I have yet encountered in any turntable.

In the box can be found the turntable, turntable platter, spindle, turntable pad, power cable with plug, and drive belt. My pre-production unit was not supplied with a User Guide but no doubt this will be included in the final version and a UK plug cable will replace the EU one I received. The system comes with an excellent Audio-Technica magnetic cartridge preinstalled but perfectionists may wish to change this for their preferred model. Build quality all seems first-rate although as with all precision instruments, delicate handling will be needed to protect it.

The turntable needs to be assembled by the user, but this is quick and easy to do. Firstly, unscrew and remove the travel lock under the platter location to free the turntable suspended spring damping mechanism, then insert the spindle in the hole (it can only go in one way), fit the belt to the underside of the platter and hook it around the drive shaft located just above the travel lock before placing the platter onto the spindle and then the pad onto the platter. On the rear panel you can plug in the power supply, connect external speakers and select the 33⅓ or 45 turntable speed.

Operating the turntable is simple and will come naturally to anyone familiar with standard hi-fi turntables. There are just two large pineapple pattern anodized alloy knobs, one for operating mode and the other for volume. Use the top knob to select Bluetooth mode, standard speaker mode or power off, with audio prompts to confirm the selection. The lower knob sets the audio volume. After placing the disc on the turntable platter and releasing the tonearm lock simply use the arm lifter and the turntable will rotate at the selected speed, lower the stylus gently onto the disc using the damped mechanism. After playing lift and replace the arm and the turntable will stop.

Most so-called Bluetooth record players just allow the device to play external Bluetooth audio through the internal speakers of the record player. This is the first I have tried that allows music from the turntable to be played directly on external speakers or other devices using Bluetooth, and I was pleased to see an up to date Bluetooth 5 connection is used for this. Pairing to an external device could not be simpler and after the first connection will be completely automatic with audio prompts to confirm the connection.

Sound quality through the internal speakers, two 10w tweeters, and two 15w mid-woofers, was fine for the size and considering the limitations of the format but for serious listening, external speakers should be used. I tried it with a pair of decent quality Nylavee SK600 speakers which can support both a Bluetooth and cable connection and the sound quality was excellent either way.

This is a very impressive looking turntable that works well, sounds good and is simple to operate with a minimum of unneeded and unwanted features. The inclusion of Bluetooth might seem to be just such a novelty but in fact, it is transparent in use, works well and sounds just as good as a wired connection.

Drawbacks? Well, the turntable is very finely engineered and needs to be handled carefully and looked after, this is not the sort of unit to be left in your teenager's bedroom, and I am sorry no turntable cover is not included. Finally, with a final suggested price of $549 it is by no means cheap, although it is currently available on Kickstarter for $349 which is rather more reasonable.

This is a fantastic turntable, unlike any other, I have used, that sounds as just good as it looks!

Music: YouTube Audio Library: Sunny Morning: Bruno E